Judith standing with her foot on the head of Holofernes
Original title: Judith standing with her foot on the head of Holofernes
kurzbeschreibung
Judith, the biblical heroine, has defeated the commander Holofernes and places her foot on his head. This etching by Antoinette Larcher dates from around 1729 and is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The print is executed in etching and engraving.
Description
Judith stands at the center, wearing historical dress; her foot rests on the head of the fallen Holofernes, who appears partly armored as a knight. The layout has a balanced, mirror-like quality. In her right hand she holds the hilt of a sword. Behind the figures, a landscape with trees opens to the horizon. Shades of gray dominate the monochrome print, with light distributed evenly across the surface.
Context
Antoinette Larcher, a French artist of the early eighteenth century, was known primarily for her prints. The subject of Judith and Holofernes was highly popular in the Baroque period, combining courage with divine justice. Whether the etching reproduces a painting or was conceived as an independent graphic work cannot be determined with certainty; both were typical for works of this time.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and the calm handling of light give the print a sense of balance and solemnity. A classicizing linear style places the event at an idealized distance and brings out Judith's triumph.
Technique
Etching and additional engraving work together, producing a fine linear structure that renders garments and landscape in detail. The plate measures 30.5 × 19.5 cm, the sheet 53 × 38.8 cm—dimensions that suggest a carefully executed print.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)